Automatic steering and control mechanism for tractors.



R. WHIPPLE.

AuIoMArlc STEERING AND coNmoL MECHANIS'M Fon TRAcTons.

`APPLICATION FlLED DC.3. 191B. 1,296,027. Patented Mar. L1, w19.

sis

RALPH WHIPPLE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC STEERING AND CONTROL MECHANISM FOR TRACTOBS.

Specication o! Letters Patent.

Application led December 8, 1918. Serial No. 265,146.

To all v/'zom if may cncm'n:

Be it known that I, RALPH lVHIrPLi:` a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements` in Automatic Steering andControl Mechanism for Tractors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to tractors and more specifically to automaticsteering and control mechanism 'for agricultural tractors )articularlyadapted for plowing,- harrowing and the like where after the firstfurrow is dug the tractor is adapted to automatically move in linesparallel thereto.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple andpractical mech- 'anism of the above general character which may beinexpensively manufactured and installed. A further object is to providea mechanism of the above general character adapted to beV applied toautomobile tractors and so designed as' to. automatically stop thetractor should the same for any reason leave its predetermined course.

Other objects will be in pairt obvious from the annexed drawingsand iripart indicated in connection therewith by' the following analysis ofthis invention. Y

This invention accordinglyr consists in the features of construction,`combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and inthe relativeproportioning and disposition thereof, all as -more`completely outlined herein. Y y l To enable others skilled fin the artso fully to comprehend the *underlying features thereof that they mayembody the same by the numerous modifications in structure and relationcontemplated by .this invention,-

drawings depicting a preferred form have and in such drawings, likecharactersiof reference denote corresponding parts through- A out allthe views, in which-1 Y ,i 4 Flgure 1 is an elevational view w1thcertain parts shown dlagrammatically with A the invention appliedthereto;

Figs.'2, 3 and 4 are detail views.

Referrin now to the drawing in detail, 5 denotes a rame of substantiallyY-shaped construction having at its head end 6 a single )ost 7 carrying-a wheel S at its lower end a apted vto travel in a furrow. The rearends 1() ofthe frame are .supported near opposite ends of an axle llprovided with f to turn therewith.

#sinned asto normally ,hold the wheel 8 at right angles to the line oftravel but by reaa large tractor wheel 12 which may travel in apreviously formed furrow while at the opposite side is a smaller wheel13 ada ted to travel on the normal ground leve frame carries a plow 14or other soil engaging implement of any desired type and The PatentedMal'. 4, 1919. y

this, of course, mav be moved up and down 0r its relative angle changedin any desired manner. These parts are all of more or less standardconstruction and detailed description thereof is believed to beunnecessary.

At the forward part of the frame (i is mounted an engine 15 providedwith a power delivering device such as a y wheel 16 connected in anysuitable manner with the rear axle 11 for driving the tractor wheels.Controlling mechanism, consisting of a gas lever 17 and spark lever 18.aremounted on a suitable segment 20 in front of the drivers seat 21convenientfor operation. Adjacent the engine 15 is a stud or othersuitable fixed member 22 to which one end of a spiral spring 23surrounding the post 7 isadapted to be secured. The oppo-` BISl siteend-of this spring is secured to alug i or post 24 upon the member 7 andis adapted This spring is so tenson of a pilot roller 25 carried on abent,l arm 26 detachably secured tothe member 7 by bolt 27 andwhichroller is adapted to travel against the wall of the furrow whereby thewheel 8 is kept in a line substantially parallel to the line ofmovement.

The member 7 is provided with a'rearwardly 'extending lug 28 to which isconnected a Hexible member such asl spring 30, the opposite end of whichspring is secured atv 31 to the end of ajbellcrank lever ivoted at 32 onthe frame of the machine. v he op been annexed as a part of thisdisclosure, `-V posits end 33 of this bell crank lever is seois4 curedbymeans of a ring 34 and branch I the furrow the post 7 will be instantly4snapped around to right angle position hy reason of the spiral springThis movement will cause apull to be exerted upon the connection 3U toactuate the hell rank lever and to depress its rear end lil to draw downthe spark and gas control levers to stop position, thereb 'instantly andautomatically shuttin o the engine.

By reason of t is construction the tractor is substantially automatic inits operation and after the initial furrow has been made and the tractorstarted, it will continue to plow automatically in lines parallel to theinitial furrow unless by accident the tractor leaves its predeterminedcourse under which circumstances the engine is immediately shut pif, asabove described.

The invention is of simple and practical construction and reliable andefficient in use and operation and is believed to accomplish amongothers all of the objects and advantages herein set forth.

I realize that considerable variation Ais possible in the detail'sofconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritof my invention, and I therefore 'do not intend to limit myself to thespecific form shown and described.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tractor provided with a source Vof power andcontrol means therefor, steering mechanism, a pilot device connectedwith said steering ,mechanism and adapted to travel in 'a furrow and to'be held from turning by contact with the wall thereof, means forholding said pilot device against the furrow wall, and connectionsbetween the steering mechanism and the power control adapted tobeactuated by the steerin mechanism when the same is turned b v saidlholding meansas the pilot device turns from contact with the furrowwall.

2. In combination with atractor provided with a source of power andcontrol means I angles to-the tractor frame, and connections between thesteering mechanism and the power control adapted to be actuated -by the`steering mechanism when the same is turned by said turning means whenthe pilot device turns from contact with the furrow wall.

3. In combination with a tractor provided with a' source-of power andcontrol means therefor, steering mechanism comprising a wheel-equippedpost, a pilot device removably, connected with said post and consistingof a roller adapted to travel in a furrow and against the wall thereof,a spring nor: mally tending to Aturn said steering mechanism and pilotdevice to a position at rightangles `to the tractor frame, andconnections between the steering mechanism and the power control adaptedto be actuated by said steering mechanism when the pilot device1 turnsfrom contact with the furrow wal l In testimony whereof I ailix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

RALPH VVHIPPLE. lvitnesses:

F, L. BRowNn, K. E. KLEIN.

4anism and pilot device to a position at right-

